Mentors
by This Is Not A Horcrux
Summary: Haymitch contemplates exactly what he thinks of Briar during the final battle. One-shot to go along with Soldier On.


**One-shot: Mentors**

Haymitch stares unblinkingly at the screen. They all do. And when the arena begins to shake, they all know what's coming.

Then end, that's what.

If he's being honest, he's surprised that she's made it this far. And the drink always makes him honest.

He's surprised by a lot of things, actually. He's surprised by how smart she is, and how stupid she can be. By her impulsiveness, her scrappiness, and her decision to save the boy from Two. He nearly pulled his hair out with that one, because despite what most people think, the alcohol doesn't make him forget. He still remembers all too clearly watching the Victor not too far from him kill her sister six years ago. So to say he wasn't thrilled with the decision would be an understatement.

But then the brute managed to surprise him as well. When he swooped in just in time to save her from getting her skull completely smashed in by the tribute from Seven, he nearly drank the whole bottle on the table in front of him. But sponsors loved that, so who is he to complain? He can't say he ever expected things to work out the way they have, and he knows every other person in this room feels the same.

He knows that's why everyone is so invested right now, even those who have already lost their tributes. Another possible victory for District Twelve, alongside a tribute from the Capitol's favorite district, and against two Careers no less—they may all be messed up in the head, but they know what that could mean.

He watches as the earth cracks and sends them down to the lagoon, where the final battle awaits them. He takes another swig of his drink. No matter what happens, he's definitely going to need another bottle.

"You think she's got a chance?" Katniss says from next him.

He doesn't answer. Instead he swirls the amber liquid around his glass before downing the rest of the contents.

Finnick steps up beside them, his eyes locked on the screen. "You always have a shot if you make it this far."

Odair's worried for his tribute. That much is obvious in the tense set of his shoulders. He hasn't been around long enough to know how to quell the pain of losing another one. His words aren't all that accurate, Haymitch thinks to himself. But then again, when the events leading here have defied all expectations, what's another surprise?

Cashmere laughs a high, bleating sound that grates on his ears from a couch not too far away.

"Not much of a chance. Her brain is practically mush by now."

Her voice is confident, and really, why shouldn't it be? Her psycho of a tribute is still going strong—the least damaged out of the remaining four. But they all know that it won't be that easy. The boy from Two is bigger and stronger, even hurt. And the Four girl has her fair share of problems at the moment.

He really wishes Briar had just killed the two of them when she had the chance—slipped some poison to them or something. Katniss nearly blew a gasket, while Peeta just sat there silently in understanding. He's getting really sick of these kids and their attempts to maintain some type of moral high ground. The only thing it does is get them put _in_ the ground.

He knows that's all irrelevant now though, because this is where they are.

"You're awfully quiet, Demetrius," Cashmere continues on. "Afraid your brother's not going to pull this one out?"

Haymitch allows himself a glance towards the man in question, but he's stoic, devoid of all emotion except for the tension in his jaw.

"We'll see," is all Demetrius says, and even that is flat.

Haymitch doesn't know him well, even though he's been around for a few years. But he does know that this is the most stressed he's ever seen a mentor from a Career district. That's even including the year Gloss mentored Cashmere. Other than the time Cato nearly died in the fight with the boy from Four, he hasn't seen much of a reaction. But he thinks that the façade is cracking. He's become something of an expert on that.

Haymitch shifts his focus back to the screen, because it's impossible not to. The two groups are talking now, and he thinks she's assessing her surroundings, which is good. But he isn't putting too much hope in what she comes up with, because Cashmere is right to some extent. He doesn't need a doctor to tell him that her head is in a bad state.

"Enough with the chit-chat," Johanna Mason drawls. He can almost hear her rolling her eyes. "Let's get this thing over with."

And it's like they can hear her, because Two lunges for One. He's faster than Haymitch would have thought, all things considered, and soon enough, they're in an all out brawl. He doesn't watch them for long though. He's more concerned with his own tribute.

"They're just circling each other," Katniss growls from beside him.

This has been hard on them—Katniss and Peeta. He remembers his first year as a mentor. The devastation of sending two kids to their deaths in the Bloodbath. It's enough to make him reach for the glass again before he remembers that it's empty. He doesn't tell them that they're lucky to have a tribute make it this far. He also doesn't tell them that it'll hurt that much more if she doesn't survive.

"This is one of the most intense moments I can recall in recent history, Claudius," he hears Caesar's voice say through the speakers. "Right up there with last year's finale."

Claudius nods along and then both idiots are done talking, letting everyone focus on the battle.

The two girls are still circling each other when One lands a particularly vicious hit on Two's shoulder. Demetrius runs a hand through his hair, and Haymitch is tempted to offer him a drink. But he doesn't, because he knows that he'll need it all to himself later. That assessment becomes truer when Four finally lunges towards his tribute.

He hears both Katniss and Peeta suck in a breath that they don't release, and really, he's the same at the moment. She's struggling, he can see that as clear as day. She's less alert and slower than normal, and it's going to cost her. He's right only seconds later when the trident comes down across her back.

"Damn," Johanna breathes from behind him. "That's gotta hurt like a bitch."

The frustration and anxiety only gets worse when she gets pinned to the ground a few seconds later. The room is completely silent for a moment, and he knows that everyone is wondering the same thing he is: if this is the end for her. But then she punches Four in the throat, and he sits a little taller.

"I'll give you this, Abernathy," Johanna whistles, "she's something."

"She is," Finnick says, and it's impossible not to look at him. He's more worried than before, and maybe that makes Haymitch sit a little taller too.

"She's a fighter," Peeta adds in a strong voice, and Haymitch can't help but agree. No matter how this turns out, no one can say that she didn't fight it every step of the way.

Both girls move in for the kill shot at the same time, Briar with her knife and Four with her trident. The blows land at nearly the same time too. The trident is deep in her flesh, and he immediately knows that that's exactly what this is: a kill shot. He feels defeated in a way he hasn't felt in a long time.

But he can't help but watch the girl from Four as she falls to the ground, because she's got a knife lodged deep in her chest too.

There are no comments from anyone in the room when both girls somehow manage to pull themselves up. He can see the blood flow freely down Briar's side, seeping out much too fast. Four isn't much better as she presses a hand to her chest. He regrets drinking the alcohol for a moment, because surely he's imagining things. But when Katniss gasps besides him he knows his head isn't playing any tricks on him like it so often does.

They come together once more, Briar's knife slipping into the flesh of Four's stomach as they fall. Neither of them gets up, even makes a move to, and he's not quite sure he can move either. He knows she's still alive though, because she's blinking at something in the distance. Then she laughs, a choked sort of sound, and his stomach sinks. She whispers something and then her eyes close, and he waits, but still, neither girl moves.

There's a second when there's no sound except for the screeching of metal on metal, and then there's the loud boom of a cannon. And still no one moves. One and Two pause for a moment, and look towards the bodies before One lunges again.

Katniss and Peeta both whip their heads around to stare at him, but he doesn't take his eyes off of the screen.

"Who was the cannon for? There was only one," he hears Peeta say. And it's clear that no one knows, because they're all glancing around the room with the same confused face.

Haymitch doesn't answer because he doesn't know either. No face appears in the sky, and no other cannon sounds. The Gamemakers must be having a field day, he thinks bitterly, making them wait like this. He has a bad feeling twisting in his gut, and he wants an answer.

"Damn, this is messed up," someone says. He thinks it's Johanna. He can't say he disagrees.

He stares at the bodies for a little longer, but they stay exactly where they are, giving no indication of the outcome. So he forces his gaze to the fight between One and Two, because he knows that with the exception of another cannon, this is the only way he's going to get an answer.

It's everything the Capitol wants a finale to be—fast-paced and brutal. There's a lot of blood, but he thinks that Two has the advantage. Cato's movements are aggressive, filled with rage if Haymitch is feeling more descriptive. One swings the mace around, but Two blocks it with the sword.

"Come on," Haymitch hears Demetrius mutter. The Victor looks ready to smash the TV. He knows the feeling.

In a swift move, Cato swings and flips One to the ground, and he drives the sword through his chest. Haymitch doesn't flinch like Katniss or Peeta when he removes the weapon and blood comes pouring out. He's long since learned to drown that out—or at least he's learned how to push it away until he can drown himself in alcohol later.

Haymitch can't look away as Two stares at the boy from One who's coughing, blood spilling from his lips. He isn't dead yet, but he will be any second when Two finishes him off.

He can feel the tension in the room when Two doesn't. Instead, he watches the boy walk quickly towards the two bodies crumpled a few yards away. He stops in front of Briar and crouches down. His hand doesn't drop the sword and the other reaches for her neck, and Haymitch is this close to losing it, because for a moment, he thinks he's going to finish her off instead. That is, if she's still alive. But then he presses two fingers to her neck and Haymitch understands. He's looking for a pulse, and Haymitch's stomach sinks, because based on the look of alarm—and dare he say fear on Two's face—he isn't finding one.

The speakers shake with the force of the boom, but it's clear that this time, it's for One. His lack of twitching gives it away.

Haymitch puts his elbows on his knees and leans forward, waiting to see what will happen. He doesn't think anyone in all of Panem is breathing at the moment, because it's completely silent.

And then it's not.

"Ladies and Gentleman, may I present to you the victors of the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games and the Third Quarter Quell, District Two's Cato Hadley and District Twelve's Briar Kinross," booms the voice of Claudius Templesmith.

Haymitch is sure he hears the collective _whoosh_ of breath finally being released.

"Well shit," Johanna says, and he can't help but echo the sentiment.

He watches silently as the hovercraft appears and pulls Two away, as they drag his tribute into some closed off room, and start looking after Cato.

He leans back against the couch and closes his eyes. He's really getting too old for this.

Nothing has gone according to plan, but he can't say he minds the outcome. It leaves a lot of questions and decisions, but right now, he doesn't think he minds that either.

He supposes he was wrong about the alcohol too. He doesn't need a glass—turns out he's going to need the whole goddamn store of it.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **So here's the first one-shot. Took a little longer to get out than I was expecting, but you know, life... Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it!**


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